Introduction to Sketch

• 1. Sketch -A check list A check list for making better films and leaving your audience refreshed, entertained and informed

2. Contents

• About Sketch

• How we work

• Where are we today?

• The audience

• What does this mean?

• How to be audience led

• What are you filming and why?

• The check list

• Common mistakes

• The wish list x10

• A brief summary

3. About Sketch

• Sketch producesfilm contentfor companies, charities and NGOs

• Our clients include:British Council, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, The London Library, Romsey Mill, Penguin UK, Safestore, Kind Consumer, Reprieve, Open Cinema and The Boston Consulting Group

• We make documentaries forChannel 4andCurrent TV

• We recently wonthe Britdoc Co-operative Its good to know award

• We work with award winning documentary makers

• Focused on anorganic investigative documentaryapproach

• Our aim is to make a film that responds to the brief and draws in a captive or fresh audience

• We areflexible and passionateabout films potential across new media

4. How we work

• We talk to clients as early as possible

• We clarify budget and resources available

• We pinpoint the visual content of the film and the tone required

• We encourage clients not to use scripts

• We let the event or people or company speak for itself

• We urge clients to resist heavily branding their film

• By letting contributors speak for themselves in a natural style - we create transparency and build trust

• We encourage a two way conversation with the audience- generating comments, calls to action, ratings, sharing

5. Trends in online content 6. Where are we today?

• How we consume content is rapidly changing - we have to ensure that the films we produce catch up

• The collective personalised voice is gaining strength - we listen to our friends and like-minded people more and more - rather than searching through media

• The medias power is decreasing/changing - they are being cut out of the loop e.g. UK election

• People who share similar interests are able to find each other far more easily than before

• Your audience should be able to find or discover more about your organisation or event very quickly

• Twitter- the pulse of the planet or a just a fashion

• Facebook- about to make the web very social with the ubiquitousfacebook likebutton and the Open Graph project

7. The audiences attention span is very short 8. What does this mean?

• The context in which people are introduced to media (facebook, twitter, email) is alsmot more important than the source itself.CONTEXT is now king

• There is a huge amount of content online - your shared audience acts as your first filter and your first referee

• People dont like to be lectured or told what to think

• Look at us and what we dois no longer enough

• You need to surprise and move people -only connect

• The audience is smart and you need to earn their trust

9. How to be audience led

• Keep a film short. If you make a long film - cut it down and release the film as a series

• Ensure that the film can be shared and rated (where appropriate)

• Make it easy for the viewer to find out more through related content

• Produce text and comment to accompany the film

• Package the film in the right category - dont push everything into one folder and assume that your audience is interested in everything

• Tag your film

• Use multiple platforms e.g. vimeo, youtube. Ensure that all content on these channels is relevant and fresh.

• Link to the film on your own blogs

10. The Filming Process 11. What are you filming and why?

• Ask yourself a series of questions:

• What are you filming and why?

• How will people react to being filmed?

• Is it visual?

• Is this unusual and why?

• Will something happen/develop over time?

• Where is it happening? Any implications for filming?

• Who is involved?

• Are the people likely to be changed by their experience?

• Are there any stakeholder issues? Who has final cut?

• Who is the target audience? How do they consume media?

• How will this film be distributed online?

12. The check list

• A film needs to beVISUAL

• Pinpoint theACTION

• • Think about when the exciting things will happen and make sure that we are there to filmthem

• Choose carefullyWHOwe will focus on and select only a few contributors

• • Big Brother type casting vs. dull but safe casting

• Allow contributors to beNATURALandHONEST(with gentle prodding)

• • Keep the camera crew small and give contributors cameras to film or do video diaries

• Create the structure for aJOURNEY

• • Think of it as stops along a tube line - at each stop something is going to change

• PREPARE PEOPLE- let everyone know that a film crew will be present

• SHOWthe action, dont report it or TELL us what just happened

• THINK FIRSTabout distributionask yourself why the audience will watch, why the film will generate positive word of mouth

• What would the headline of a review of the film be? Think about linking print to the film and generating media coverage

• Overt branding is not important

13. Common mistakes

• Planning late

• Poor communications with partners and people on the ground

• Looking inwards -pleasing the boss but not the audience

• Not knowing whom to please (Who is the boss? Who is the audience?)

• Going over budget - by not knowing what you want before you start

• Uploading content online simply to have something up there

• Not promoting your filmsonline with text and tags

• A series of people talking at camera telling uswhat they have just done

• Overly obvious enthusiasm - Everything is great is a bit boring

• Filming events that are greatLIVEbut not so great on screen as you had to be there

• Letting people get nervous and stilted on camera

14. The wish list x 10

• Define your objective

• Define your audience

• Segment the audience (different films/channels for each audience)

• Prepare and plan

• Know what you want - develop aresult orientated strategy

• Let people know what you are doing and what you are trying to do

• Communicate constantly with us

• Show human relationships at work or human stories/journeys

• Refine your film - get feedback from outsiders and make changes

• Get a high impact still image and ensure the film has clean sound

15. A quick summary

• Prepare and Plan

• Audience, Audience, Audience

• Surprise people- dont use the same old, same old approach

• Do something different this time

• Make it snappy, make it simple

• Allocate resources sensibly

• Commission investigative films rather than event coverage

• Think about distribution first

• Obtain objective feedback

16.

• 7 Denmark Street

• London WC2H 8LZ

• Tel: +44 207 240 0457

• Mob: +44 778 213 2146

• Email: [email protected]

• Web: www.sketchfilms.co.uk

Questions? If you want to meet to discuss any filming requirements you may have please get in touch.Thank you.